The Malian people is getting ready to live some difficult moments in the next couple of days, months, and maybe years. This week, the junta that took power one year ago and compelled former president Ibrahim Boubacar Këita to resign in August 2020 decided that they would finally not leave the country until five years. 

As they said after the coup in summer 2020 still, by the voice of their leader Assimi Goïta, some elections were supposed to take place in the country to elect the next Malian president. The military organization eventually thought that it would be better to keep power: no elections before five years at least, and no matter the international sanctions and pressure. But the Malian people is going to pay for that because the punishment arrived without delay.

After the announcement of the junta and the deliberate will not to organize the promised elections, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS, CEDEAO in French) decided to close all boundaries with Mali. On top of that, an embargo was put on financial transactions and trade, which is a real pain for Mali.

Indeed, the country is living (and surviving) thanks to international support from institutions like the World Bank, and this help is crucial. Doing without it will be more than a challenge if the sanction is really confirmed and enforced. Putting an end to financial transactions also means stopping money transfers from the Malian diaspora all over the world and we know that a lot of families rely on such transfers. Without mentioning trade, and the difficulty for Mali to do without the Senegalese and Ivorian harbors…

The junta urged the Malian people to demonstrate in the streets against the sanctions. They did not say anything about the fact that they did not reach their commitment, which triggered off that situation. Power when you got us…